(ROLE) CULT 2.0

[dormheads]

cult.

On Monday at 10 PM, Rupert, Otome, and Byleth receive an encrypted e-mail.

d4rkness@Wiwaldi.edu

Come to classroom 1304; see attached map.

No one is in the halls as they creep to the abandoned classroom circled on the map. The normally locked door opens, revealing the room inside.

There are no windows and the lights are off, leaving the room cast in near darkness. Only a handful of candles, in what's probably a fire hazard, keep it illuminated; the fog being emitted from a personal fog machine doesn't help with visibility. What was once the teacher's desk has been pushed to the center of the room, with chairs seated around it. For some reason, there are cat decorations everywhere, mixed in with various (garish) occult items and patterns.

There is a cat-shaped bulletin board hanging on the wall, which reads:

» This world is trying to assimilate all of you, who started this year, into its setting. If it succeeds, you'll remain trapped in this school, your souls drained until you cease to exist.

» Each week, this place will make active efforts on a few select students. Once the weekend hits, they'll all be beyond saving. However, if any one of them is killed before then, they'll all be freed from the link, at least for the remainder of the week.

» Death isn't necessarily permanent. Those who died can potentially be saved. However, no such option exists for the fully assimilated.

» At the start of the week you'll be informed if you may recruit one person to join the cult. Provide a list of 3-4 people you want to recruit and you'll be told which one of them is approved. If you extend an invitation and they accept, they will join the cult the following week.

» Preventing the assimilation aside, even the original cult was meant to be a secret, so it's important that word doesn't spread. If anyone else learns about your involvement in the cult or your task, whether from your mouth or another's, this world may enact consequences. No guarantee on who they might affect, so it's up to you to decide if risking harm upon another is worth it.

Comments

[momming]

Oh, also... Yamato-kun reached out to me this morning.

Apparently there are other... ah, clubs of sorts like this one. And he's able to check on a person and see if they're a member of one, just no further details.

Also. [ She sighs. ] He can look into whether a person has killed.

[divineimpulse]

[she nods, but looks relatively unperturbed by it.]

I know of one. I can't explain it, but it's not a bad thing.

Why did he mention it?

[momming]

Because he looked into me and saw I was a member of one. He wanted to know if I could talk about it.

[divineimpulse]

[...]

Did he see everything?

[momming]

No. He doesn't know the name or what we do, and I think if he had looked to see if I had killed, I didn't technically deliver the killing blow.

[divineimpulse]

[hmmmmmm]

Is he the only one with that ability?

[momming]

I don't know. It might be like us, where a group has to agree on a person to investigate.

[divineimpulse]

He didn't give any details of his, either.

[...]

The other I'm aware of only appears to have one member. It's harmless.

[momming]

We technically seem to be the dangerous ones, don't we?

[ she smiles, a little tiredly. ]

At any rate, what I told you both doesn't leave this room, all right? It needs to stay between us.

[divineimpulse]

I assume anything we share here doesn't leave here.

[momming]

And you would be right.

... Ah, do we also want to talk about recruiting?

[heartlands]

Oh, right... It’s pretty easy this week, right? Since there are three of us, we can each pick one person.

[heartlands]

Can I ask what it is...?

[divineimpulse]

[she thinks about it.]

I think I can. But it would have to be in private—once I tell you, it doesn't work anymore.

[heartlands]

...I mean, I don't want to ruin it or anything, so you don't have to.

[divineimpulse]

I don't mind telling you at all, because I don't think it will be used on you.

[heartlands]

...What did you tell him?

[momming]

That I couldn't, but that I was trying to get everyone home safely as much as he was. I didn't say anything as to our numbers or anything like that.

[heartlands]

[aaaaaaaaa]

It's up to you, but... Are you sure you should take part this week? If they find any evidence related to you, he's going to be able to start putting pieces together.

[momming]

... That's a valid point. But then I'm not sure what use I'd even be to you this week.

[heartlands]

Well...

[thinking, thinking.]

I've actually been thinking - maybe we should start pooling our vouchers so we have, like, a healing spell on hand for someone in case they get hurt during the night. We can't contact the dorm heads for it once curfew happens, after all, so - if we all chip in now, we can have it ready in case anyone needs it on Thursday. I've got seven vouchers.

[momming]

That's not a bad idea... I wonder if I could get one of my own healing spells back, as well. I think I might have eight.

[heartlands]

Okay. Then... Are you okay with being a little more careful this week, or do you still want to help?

[momming]

... I think I may have to sit this one out. I'm still fine if I'm caught, but...

[ Well. She'd more or less agreed to try and last, for the sake of ending this. ]

[heartlands]

[he nods.]

We'll take care of it, then, as long as it's alright with Byleth.