"Lure us in" sounds about right. [ kon calls over his shoulder to alphinaud, and trusts that the wizard who carries around a rifle will be able to take care of himself as he heads upstairs. manwol is at least in his peripheral, technically, so he focuses on checking out the kitchen.
we shouldn't have left the oven on is abruptly shoved aside, replaced by i've seen way too many horror movies with ovens as he warily goes to open it, just a crack, to see what's in there. ]
Anyone else getting a weird feeling, on top of that uncanny "belonging" one? [ rest ]
[Manwol props the door open with one of those dusty boxes because she is NOT going to clean the garage, that sounds like a task they can push to next Wednesday..... she Frowns, trying to remind herself that this is weird and also she'd never buy these cars???? Manwol will examine the red one more closely, maybe the keys are magically around here somewhere ]
Slap yourself if you start feeling sleepy.
[she yells, then immediately starts feeling tired... no it's fine she wants to see the car!!!]
[Looking closer, Alphinaud will get to see that the newspaper! It lists current events, like there's an election approaching later in the year, the nearby mall had a fire last week and had to close down some stores, there's a fundraiser for the elementary school this weekend, and the results of last night's baseball game. The paper is titled The Watchers.
There's a cellphone on the table, different from the ones that they're all used to using--older. It's a flip phone! Does he:
> Look through the phone. > Go somewhere else. > Rest. It's been such a long day.
Bradley heads to the master bedroom! It's very modern, with one queen bed, two dressers, and a desk. There's a bathroom as well connected to it and a closet. The bed is unmade, and Bradley will wonder why Manwol hasn't made her bed for a second? Does he:
> Go through the drawers. > Check the bathroom or closet. > The bed is right there.
When Kon opens the oven, smoke billows out of the open door. There's cake! And it's burning. There's also an odd smell to it, one that's very difficult to place but he will be able to tell it's not very... cake-y. Does he:
> Take the cake out. > Go look at something else. > Just close his eyes for a minute.
Manwol will be able to open the car door if she tries! The backseat is also full of boxes, and there's no key, but will hit her more is the smell, like there's something rotting in there. Does she:
> Look for the smell source. > Check out something else. > Take a nap. ]
[ This paper sure has a lot of words that mean very little to Alphinaud. Maybe... one of the others can make sense of it.
He sets the paper down. And hey—cellphone? He picks it up, turns it over in his hand, and flips it open. If it's got stuff to look through he'll do that with his minimal cellphone knowledge. ]
he sounds a little distracted, and he does close his eyes - but it's not long enough to be rest, so much as it is to brace himself and let some of the smoke vent. after that, kon reaches out to turn off the oven, looking for a pair of oven mitts so that he can.
take this cake out.
under his breath, as he opens the oven and reaches in to take it out: ] The ocean's dying. Plankton's dying. It's people. Soylent Green is made out of people. They're making our food out of people.
[yes sirree manwol is definitely going to check out what in the fresh afterlife is rotting in here!!! That way she can yell for one of the boys to throw it away. She'd do that even if this wasn't a house that feels like it belongs to all of them.
She'll pick up the toy scooter and start poking around the backseat with it.]
[ Since it's a flip phone, there isn't that much he can do. There's an internet option that will take forever to load and immediately charge him money if he opens it. But he'll see a few unread text messages, from Sakyou, Tokidoki, and Nier. Before he can open any of them though, the phone will ring. The phone number isn't in the contacts. Do you:
> Ignore the call and look at the texts. > Answer the phone. > Isn't it better to rest?
Going through the drawers, he'll be shifting through a lot of clothes at first. Shirts, underwear, socks-- normal items. Eventually, buried in a bottom one under some bathing suits, is a thick, leather book. It's heavy. Does he:
> Open the book. > Check something else out. > Maybe he should see if this bed is softer than hiss?
When Kon takes the cake out, the first thing he'll notice is that it seems to be collapsing onto itself in the middle. There's also an odd, greenish-brown sludge? Who baked this. Kon can't believe someone would almost burn down his house like this. A house. This is his house, right? Does he:
> Inspect it in more detail. > Look at something else. > No one would blame him if he slept.
After poking a bit, one of the boxes will fall over. (anais voice) meat room. But yes, meat comes out, but it's smushed up together like it was mashed by something until it's unrecognizable. The only way Manwol can tell it's even meat is because of the unmistakable smell. Also, there's bug? Roaches, flies, ants-- they all also fall out of the box, squirming around after they were disturbed. Does she:
> Continue to investigate this. > Do something else that has less bugs. > Isn't she tired? ]
[ Guess who's just now discovering phones can ring? This guy!
... Alphinaud has no idea what this means, so he just stares at it for a long moment, then starts pressing buttons at random. This probably means he's looking at the texts instead. ]
[ this is exhausting but no, fuck you, he's going to set the cake on top of the stove and get a - i don't know, a wooden spoon. he hears the phone ring, probably, but doesn't think anything of it. someone else in the family will answer it.
fuck, stop thinking things like that. ]
I'm going to regret this. [ and he prods into the caving in middle, not leaning directly over it in case something happens but nudging it aside to see what's going on. ]
[manwol immediately says something that's not appropriate for their culdesac neighborhood, but just look at this!!! Bugs!! She abandons the toy scooter and slams the car door shut. Goodbye. Maybe she can use this as an excuse to buy an entirely new car...........
She moves over to the dusty box that's propping the door open and peers inside it. What if there are Roaches in here... Kon might throw a shitfit if she accidentally lets Bugs get into the kitchen, which is like his territory like it's always been right]
[ Alphi is valid. No one taught him about phone calls.
The text from Sakyou reads: I apologize but I can't make it tomorrow. My house has become infested with bugs and I need to be here when the exterminator comes. Tell everyone I say hi.
The text from Tokidoki reads: see you at the bbq! I heard you were bringing cake? can't wait
The text from Nier seems to be several days old. Why aren't you checking your messages more reliably? It reads: We should confess about the mall.
Does Alphi:
> Try to respond to any of the texts. > Do something else. > Isn't he drowsy? Isn't he? Isn't he?
Inside the book, is... a memory book! It seems to be about a murder that happened in a bus outside of the neighborhood a few months back. The book is filled with clipped news articles, pictures of all the victims, and notes about what they were wearing, who fought back, what their screams sounded like. Does he:
> Look at something else. > Sleep. Sleep. Sleep.
For Kon, when he sticks the spoon in, it will... start to melt a bit? Very slowly, to the point where he won't even notice what's happening at first. Weird. Does he:
> Taste it. > Do something else. > Why won't he sleep?
Manwol is smart because mood. There are no bugs in these boxes! Instead, she finds a lot of phonebooks. Like, a weird amount of phonebooks? All from different years and a few for a few towns over.
In other boxes, there's a lot of clothes that she'll notice doesn't belong to any of them, since she'd recognize this considering they all live together. There's a musty smell coming from the clothes. Does she:
> Keep looking in the garage. > Go somewhere else. > Zzzzzzz. ]
[ I assume the phone eventually stops ringing. Between that and the weird texts—from names he recognizes, no less—Alphinaud frowns.
Thankfully by now he's learned how to text, but instead of messing with the phone any more, uh... Maybe someone else will know what the hell to do with this. Phone in hand, Alphinaud decides to wander into the kitchen with it. ]
Kon, do you— [ wait ] Was something burning in here?
[A murder that happened in a bus... All the victims? Their... screams... The rest of this he can make excuses for, there would be reasons people somebody outside of the bus might know.
He taps his fingers on the book for a moment. Is this book so heavy he can't lift it and bring it with him? If he can, it's coming with him.
He'd look at the closet. What's in here? Just more clothes?]
[Manwol tries skimming through a phonebook but boring dense reading material is the enemy and she's trying not to go ZZZZ despite wanting to, so she'll leave that and the clothes behind and enter the kitchen. Her goal is the bathroom connecting to the dining room, she feels like Washing Her Hands is Imperative right now.
But she will stop to join Alphinaud and Kon in the kitchen,]
Don't open the car. There's meat or something in there, and don't ask me what kind because I'm not going back to check.
[ Wow, almost the whole family is here! Fun. Kon, Alphi, and Manwol will feel a sense of togetherness and love as they stand here. Family is great.
When Kon opens the freezer, it will be empty but also incredibly dirty, like it hasn't been properly scrubbed in a while and whoever cleaned this (he will get the sense that Bradley was on kitchen cleaning duty last) just emptied it without doing anything else. As for the fridge, well...
Dead bugs. Worms, Roaches, beetles, slugs-- they will all come tumbling out and hit the floor, onto his shoes. Other than that, the fridge is full of rotting food, things that were expired from days to weeks ago. Terrible! Do the three of them:
> Make a snack. > Check something else. > Take a family nap.
Bradley will find that he can take the book with him, yes. Inside the closet is more clothes! He will notice that they're very on brand and more on the expensive side, and he will wonder if Manwol is wasting their budget on herself? How did she afford these?
He will also her a thudding sound, but it's from inside the wall. Does he:
> Stay and listen. > Check somewhere else. > The bed is still there. ]
Alphinaud doesn't get long to wonder. The fridge is opened, and once the creepy crawlies spill to the floor, he visibly jumps, letting out an undignified yelp.
If he was feeling tired before, he sure isn't now! SHIT'S NASTY ]
[Malwol, what the fuck, their budget- WHAT. No. He takes a moment to fiddle with the jeweled ring on his left hand. He is not married to anybody inside of this house.
Time to stay and listen. Thudding sound...?
What kind of noise is this? Is it rhythmic? Is it a large or small thing within the wall? Can he even get a sense of it from where he's standing?]
[ somewhere from downstairs, in time with a yelp: ] Fucking fuck!
[ kon also isn't given long to dissect that, because there's more meat! in the fridge! with bugs that are now all over his shoes! he slams the fridge door shut, backing away and kicking his feet out one, then the other, to shake the dead critters off. ]
This house is a nightmare, what the hell. Why is this place supposed to feel homey? [ no, he's leaving the kitchen and following manwol to at least the dining room, nudging alphinaud to come with them and abandon the pile of buggies on the kitchen floor. he has to yell at bradley for not cleaning the freezer - no he doesn't - but the feeling of no family left behind can stay. ]
[ Alphinaud still has this phone. With Kon and Manwol with him, he seems to remember that Kon had been talking about buying a new phone recently. Maybe this is it? Does he:
> Ask them about the texts. > Do something else. > Sleep. Sleep. Just sleep.
For Bradley, it will sound like something is slamming against the wall. There's no rhythm to it, and it's hard to tell if it's something large or if it's just hitting it hard. All he can tell is that it's in the wall of the closet. Does he:
> Keep inspecting the noise. > Check something else. > His eyelids are so heavy.
The dining room has a long table, with enough chairs for six people. There's some papers stacked in front of one of the chairs, and they will know no one usually sits there unless there's guests. To the side if a large cabinet, filled with the fine China. They've been in the family for a long time. Does he:
> Look at the papers. > Look at the cabinet. > Sleep.
The first floor bathroom is neat and orderly. There's no shower here, only a toilet and sink, but Manwol will see that the sink is running? How long has it been running? Their water bill. The water is also... well. Black. Does she:
> Look more closely at the water. > Poop. > Close her eyes and rest.
[ Ew, ew, ew. Gods, he is unbelievably grossed out. Sick to his stomach, Alphinaud follows with haste. ]
No, it is...
[ It's something getting the better of them, nudging their thoughts and wills toward... he doesn't know what, but it's difficult to say so aloud, let alone think of it for long; Alphinaud's mind swirls, and for some reason, he returns to thinking about the phone. Its texts, how old it is by now, and what a hassle it's been to use lately as a result. And its battery life? Awful, too. They really need to hurry up and buy a new phone. ]
By the by, Kon—have you checked the texts lately?
[ Alphinaud lifts the phone. The words come out of his mouth before he realizes what he's said. ]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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we shouldn't have left the oven on is abruptly shoved aside, replaced by i've seen way too many horror movies with ovens as he warily goes to open it, just a crack, to see what's in there. ]
Anyone else getting a weird feeling, on top of that uncanny "belonging" one? [ rest ]
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Slap yourself if you start feeling sleepy.
[she yells, then immediately starts feeling tired... no it's fine she wants to see the car!!!]
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There's a cellphone on the table, different from the ones that they're all used to using--older. It's a flip phone! Does he:
> Look through the phone.
> Go somewhere else.
> Rest. It's been such a long day.
Bradley heads to the master bedroom! It's very modern, with one queen bed, two dressers, and a desk. There's a bathroom as well connected to it and a closet. The bed is unmade, and Bradley will wonder why Manwol hasn't made her bed for a second? Does he:
> Go through the drawers.
> Check the bathroom or closet.
> The bed is right there.
When Kon opens the oven, smoke billows out of the open door. There's cake! And it's burning. There's also an odd smell to it, one that's very difficult to place but he will be able to tell it's not very... cake-y. Does he:
> Take the cake out.
> Go look at something else.
> Just close his eyes for a minute.
Manwol will be able to open the car door if she tries! The backseat is also full of boxes, and there's no key, but will hit her more is the smell, like there's something rotting in there. Does she:
> Look for the smell source.
> Check out something else.
> Take a nap. ]
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He sets the paper down. And hey—cellphone? He picks it up, turns it over in his hand, and flips it open. If it's got stuff to look through he'll do that with his minimal cellphone knowledge. ]
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He's going to go through the drawers right now. What's in these? What can he take? ]
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[
he sounds a little distracted, and he does close his eyes - but it's not long enough to be rest, so much as it is to brace himself and let some of the smoke vent. after that, kon reaches out to turn off the oven, looking for a pair of oven mitts so that he can.
take this cake out.
under his breath, as he opens the oven and reaches in to take it out: ] The ocean's dying. Plankton's dying. It's people. Soylent Green is made out of people. They're making our food out of people.
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She'll pick up the toy scooter and start poking around the backseat with it.]
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> Ignore the call and look at the texts.
> Answer the phone.
> Isn't it better to rest?
Going through the drawers, he'll be shifting through a lot of clothes at first. Shirts, underwear, socks-- normal items. Eventually, buried in a bottom one under some bathing suits, is a thick, leather book. It's heavy. Does he:
> Open the book.
> Check something else out.
> Maybe he should see if this bed is softer than hiss?
When Kon takes the cake out, the first thing he'll notice is that it seems to be collapsing onto itself in the middle. There's also an odd, greenish-brown sludge? Who baked this. Kon can't believe someone would almost burn down his house like this. A house. This is his house, right? Does he:
> Inspect it in more detail.
> Look at something else.
> No one would blame him if he slept.
After poking a bit, one of the boxes will fall over. (anais voice) meat room. But yes, meat comes out, but it's smushed up together like it was mashed by something until it's unrecognizable. The only way Manwol can tell it's even meat is because of the unmistakable smell. Also, there's bug? Roaches, flies, ants-- they all also fall out of the box, squirming around after they were disturbed. Does she:
> Continue to investigate this.
> Do something else that has less bugs.
> Isn't she tired? ]
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... Alphinaud has no idea what this means, so he just stares at it for a long moment, then starts pressing buttons at random. This probably means he's looking at the texts instead. ]
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He's opening the book. What's in this? ]
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fuck, stop thinking things like that. ]
I'm going to regret this. [ and he prods into the caving in middle, not leaning directly over it in case something happens but nudging it aside to see what's going on. ]
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She moves over to the dusty box that's propping the door open and peers inside it. What if there are Roaches in here... Kon might throw a shitfit if she accidentally lets Bugs get into the kitchen, which is like his territory like it's always been right]
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The text from Sakyou reads: I apologize but I can't make it tomorrow. My house has become infested with bugs and I need to be here when the exterminator comes. Tell everyone I say hi.
The text from Tokidoki reads: see you at the bbq! I heard you were bringing cake? can't wait
The text from Nier seems to be several days old. Why aren't you checking your messages more reliably? It reads: We should confess about the mall.
Does Alphi:
> Try to respond to any of the texts.
> Do something else.
> Isn't he drowsy? Isn't he? Isn't he?
Inside the book, is... a memory book! It seems to be about a murder that happened in a bus outside of the neighborhood a few months back. The book is filled with clipped news articles, pictures of all the victims, and notes about what they were wearing, who fought back, what their screams sounded like. Does he:
> Look at something else.
> Sleep. Sleep. Sleep.
For Kon, when he sticks the spoon in, it will... start to melt a bit? Very slowly, to the point where he won't even notice what's happening at first. Weird. Does he:
> Taste it.
> Do something else.
> Why won't he sleep?
Manwol is smart because mood. There are no bugs in these boxes! Instead, she finds a lot of phonebooks. Like, a weird amount of phonebooks? All from different years and a few for a few towns over.
In other boxes, there's a lot of clothes that she'll notice doesn't belong to any of them, since she'd recognize this considering they all live together. There's a musty smell coming from the clothes. Does she:
> Keep looking in the garage.
> Go somewhere else.
> Zzzzzzz. ]
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Thankfully by now he's learned how to text, but instead of messing with the phone any more, uh... Maybe someone else will know what the hell to do with this. Phone in hand, Alphinaud decides to wander into the kitchen with it. ]
Kon, do you— [ wait ] Was something burning in here?
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He taps his fingers on the book for a moment. Is this book so heavy he can't lift it and bring it with him? If he can, it's coming with him.
He'd look at the closet. What's in here? Just more clothes?]
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he will not be tasting the cake, and instead puts the spoon back in. ]
Don't eat it. Something about the ingredients is acidic, and nevermind that it's burnt and doesn't smell like a normal cake. What'd you find?
[ god he has a bad feeling but he's going to open the door(s) on the fridge to see what's inside it/the freezer if there is one. ]
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But she will stop to join Alphinaud and Kon in the kitchen,]
Don't open the car. There's meat or something in there, and don't ask me what kind because I'm not going back to check.
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When Kon opens the freezer, it will be empty but also incredibly dirty, like it hasn't been properly scrubbed in a while and whoever cleaned this (he will get the sense that Bradley was on kitchen cleaning duty last) just emptied it without doing anything else. As for the fridge, well...
Dead bugs. Worms, Roaches, beetles, slugs-- they will all come tumbling out and hit the floor, onto his shoes. Other than that, the fridge is full of rotting food, things that were expired from days to weeks ago. Terrible! Do the three of them:
> Make a snack.
> Check something else.
> Take a family nap.
Bradley will find that he can take the book with him, yes. Inside the closet is more clothes! He will notice that they're very on brand and more on the expensive side, and he will wonder if Manwol is wasting their budget on herself? How did she afford these?
He will also her a thudding sound, but it's from inside the wall. Does he:
> Stay and listen.
> Check somewhere else.
> The bed is still there. ]
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[ Manwhol what does that even mean.
Alphinaud doesn't get long to wonder. The fridge is opened, and once the creepy crawlies spill to the floor, he visibly jumps, letting out an undignified yelp.
If he was feeling tired before, he sure isn't now! SHIT'S NASTY ]
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Time to stay and listen. Thudding sound...?
What kind of noise is this? Is it rhythmic? Is it a large or small thing within the wall? Can he even get a sense of it from where he's standing?]
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[ kon also isn't given long to dissect that, because there's more meat! in the fridge! with bugs that are now all over his shoes! he slams the fridge door shut, backing away and kicking his feet out one, then the other, to shake the dead critters off. ]
This house is a nightmare, what the hell. Why is this place supposed to feel homey? [ no, he's leaving the kitchen and following manwol to at least the dining room, nudging alphinaud to come with them and abandon the pile of buggies on the kitchen floor. he has to yell at bradley for not cleaning the freezer - no he doesn't - but the feeling of no family left behind can stay. ]
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Manwol will immediately head into the bathroom. there better not be more bugs in there, or meat.... please.....]
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> Ask them about the texts.
> Do something else.
> Sleep. Sleep. Just sleep.
For Bradley, it will sound like something is slamming against the wall. There's no rhythm to it, and it's hard to tell if it's something large or if it's just hitting it hard. All he can tell is that it's in the wall of the closet. Does he:
> Keep inspecting the noise.
> Check something else.
> His eyelids are so heavy.
The dining room has a long table, with enough chairs for six people. There's some papers stacked in front of one of the chairs, and they will know no one usually sits there unless there's guests. To the side if a large cabinet, filled with the fine China. They've been in the family for a long time. Does he:
> Look at the papers.
> Look at the cabinet.
> Sleep.
The first floor bathroom is neat and orderly. There's no shower here, only a toilet and sink, but Manwol will see that the sink is running? How long has it been running? Their water bill. The water is also... well. Black. Does she:
> Look more closely at the water.
> Poop.
> Close her eyes and rest.
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No, it is...
[ It's something getting the better of them, nudging their thoughts and wills toward... he doesn't know what, but it's difficult to say so aloud, let alone think of it for long; Alphinaud's mind swirls, and for some reason, he returns to thinking about the phone. Its texts, how old it is by now, and what a hassle it's been to use lately as a result. And its battery life? Awful, too. They really need to hurry up and buy a new phone. ]
By the by, Kon—have you checked the texts lately?
[ Alphinaud lifts the phone. The words come out of his mouth before he realizes what he's said. ]
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So he'll look at the master bathroom instead. What's going on in here? ]
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