[ 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. ]
[ they really need to clean up the table, kon considers for a moment as he rifles a little through the papers, tapping the toes of his shoes into the floor like he's making sure that there's no more lingering bugs. even if no one sits here usually -
fuck, stop. alphinaud draws his attention. ]
... the texts? [ it sounds right, but the logical part of his brain that's battling with the constant, lingering thought to sleep, to close his eyes, to rest - on top of the supposed normalcy of this place - picks out how that sounds weird, too.
he'll take the phone to look at the texts, abandoning the papers after that cursory glance. ]
[their water bill!!! See this is why they're driving such boring cars, all the money in this family keeps on going to needless expenses (except for her stuff obviously)
As much as Manwol wants to REST she should probably try to turn the sink off, right? Also look more closely at the water because it's BLACK. Maybe they can sue the water company. What water company? Whichever company they're paying in order to live in their homey, bugfilled home --]
[ The master bathroom is filled with, for some weird reason, a lot of garbage bags. There are just piles and piles of empty garbage bags, and he'll have to step over them to get anywhere. Besides that, it's normal. There's a sink, toilet, and shower/bath combo. The water here is also normal. He can also hear the noise from here, but it's not as loud. Does he:
> Take a shower. > Check something else. > The urge to sleep is so much higher.
The papers that Kon go through look to be hastily scribbled notes. They're mundane things, like grocery lists and budgeting for bills. There's also a very detailed schedule for one of their neighbors? The time the lights in their house goes on in the morning, when they go out to walk their dog, when they leave for work, what time they return. There's pages and pages of it.
But when he is handed the phone, it rings again. Alphi will recognize it as the same number that rang before. Does Kon:
> Look at the texts. > Answer it. > Take a nap with Alphinaud.
Looking closely at the water, she'll notice that is actually smells nice? Fragrant, really. It's so nice that... maybe she should drink it? Does she:
> Drink the water. > Check something else. > How are you not resting? ]
It means there's an incoming message - not a text one, but a call where you speak to one another in real time. Our phones from Wiwaldi can't do this.
[ even in this weird place, his auto translate for ye oldes and fantasies kicks in. he wants to look at the texts, and he's not sure what'll happen if he does answer the phone, but - maybe they'll learn something.
he thumbs the button and brings the phone up to his ear, shifting closer to alphinaud. he will not sleep, but maybe the proximity will help. ]
[look Manwol learned her lesson the last time she drank a funky liquid, she refuses to indulge here. Also, she's pretty sure everyone else will judge her for drinking sink water!!
She'll head back into the dining room instead and sit at the table, at the side she usually sits. She's just sitting. Not resting!!!]
[ The second bathroom looks normal! There's no garbage bags, and also the water doesn't seem to be any weird color. He will hear the sound again, but much more distant this time. Does he:
> Brush his teeth. > Check something else. > It's so hard to keep his eyes open.
Meanwhile, the downstairs group are all together as Kon answers the phone. The voice is unfamiliar to them. ]
Hey. Am I next? Are you going to get me next? Am I next? Am I next? Am I next? Am I ne--
[ The call cuts off as the phone dies. Do they:
> Look for the charger. > Check something else. > Sleeeeeep. ]
[ He mutters out, both because he's so confused and genuinely too exhausted for this. They haven't even been here for long... No, that's not true, he hasn't left home today. Why's he so tired? Maybe he didn't sleep well last night.
Manwol joins them, and Alphinaud is inclined to follow suit; he pulls out a chair—his usual spot—plops down, props his elbows upon the table, and leans his forehead into his hands. ]
I have my doubts that pinching will answer any of our questions.
[Since he is blissfully unaware of whatever the fuck that phone call was about, or that it even happened at all. He moves into the closest bedroom. And what is in here?
He's digging his nails into the palm of his hand. No, he is not going to sleep. He doesn't feel like it. He's the lord of the night*.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
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. ]
no subject
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]
no subject
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. ]
no subject
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?
no subject
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?]
no subject
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. ]
no subject
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.
no subject
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. ]
no subject
[ 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 ]
no subject
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?]
no subject
[ 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. ]
no subject
Manwol will immediately head into the bathroom. there better not be more bugs in there, or meat.... please.....]
no subject
> 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.
no subject
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. ]
no subject
So he'll look at the master bathroom instead. What's going on in here? ]
no subject
fuck, stop. alphinaud draws his attention. ]
... the texts? [ it sounds right, but the logical part of his brain that's battling with the constant, lingering thought to sleep, to close his eyes, to rest - on top of the supposed normalcy of this place - picks out how that sounds weird, too.
he'll take the phone to look at the texts, abandoning the papers after that cursory glance. ]
no subject
As much as Manwol wants to REST she should probably try to turn the sink off, right? Also look more closely at the water because it's BLACK. Maybe they can sue the water company. What water company? Whichever company they're paying in order to live in their homey, bugfilled home --]
no subject
> Take a shower.
> Check something else.
> The urge to sleep is so much higher.
The papers that Kon go through look to be hastily scribbled notes. They're mundane things, like grocery lists and budgeting for bills. There's also a very detailed schedule for one of their neighbors? The time the lights in their house goes on in the morning, when they go out to walk their dog, when they leave for work, what time they return. There's pages and pages of it.
But when he is handed the phone, it rings again. Alphi will recognize it as the same number that rang before. Does Kon:
> Look at the texts.
> Answer it.
> Take a nap with Alphinaud.
Looking closely at the water, she'll notice that is actually smells nice? Fragrant, really. It's so nice that... maybe she should drink it? Does she:
> Drink the water.
> Check something else.
> How are you not resting? ]
no subject
[ Once more, he's distracted by the phone. Alphinaud glances at it, then Kon. ]
That... ringing. What is it?
no subject
[ With the constant cloying need to take a long rest, they's no way he's going into that shower.
To the bathroom in the hallway. What about this one? Is it also covered in garbage bags? ]
no subject
[ even in this weird place, his auto translate for ye oldes and fantasies kicks in. he wants to look at the texts, and he's not sure what'll happen if he does answer the phone, but - maybe they'll learn something.
he thumbs the button and brings the phone up to his ear, shifting closer to alphinaud. he will not sleep, but maybe the proximity will help. ]
Hey, it's Kon. What's up?
no subject
She'll head back into the dining room instead and sit at the table, at the side she usually sits. She's just sitting. Not resting!!!]
Someone pinch me.
[she's too tired to do it herself???]
no subject
> Brush his teeth.
> Check something else.
> It's so hard to keep his eyes open.
Meanwhile, the downstairs group are all together as Kon answers the phone. The voice is unfamiliar to them. ]
Hey. Am I next? Are you going to get me next? Am I next? Am I next? Am I next? Am I ne--
[ The call cuts off as the phone dies. Do they:
> Look for the charger.
> Check something else.
> Sleeeeeep. ]
no subject
Seven hells.
[ He mutters out, both because he's so confused and genuinely too exhausted for this. They haven't even been here for long... No, that's not true, he hasn't left home today. Why's he so tired? Maybe he didn't sleep well last night.
Manwol joins them, and Alphinaud is inclined to follow suit; he pulls out a chair—his usual spot—plops down, props his elbows upon the table, and leans his forehead into his hands. ]
I have my doubts that pinching will answer any of our questions.
no subject
He's digging his nails into the palm of his hand. No, he is not going to sleep. He doesn't feel like it. He's the lord of the night*.
*citation needed.]
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)