(ROLE) CULT 5.0

[dormheads]

cult.

On Monday at 10 PM, Otome, Luxanna, Dimitri, and Manwol 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.

As of Week 3, a lamp has been added to the room to give it some light.

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 4-8 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.

As of Week 3, more notes have been added.

A summary of what the others were told previously:

» This world is forced to act according to an internal logic. It isn't always aware of everything going on, and it can't break whatever rules it wishes. This would presumably be why you all arrived here with your minds intact, rather than already assimilated; it's possible that this defence mechanism has manifested in other ways as well, to try and correct things to how they should be.

Comments

[repress]

[ flipping through the profiles... then, grimly: ]

...Some may be more prepared than others, but I don't think any of them know much self defense.

[lifeless]

[the vibes of this room really is just depression,

not that Manwol can actually blame them.]

Leo's an excellent shot, and he has his toolbelt. He could easily fight back with his hammer or screwdriver, not to mention everything else he carries around.

[illuminance]

Leo it is, then.

I should go alone.

[momming]

... I'm not so sure.

[repress]

Luxanna, you were blinded last week.

And there are still people who think they're supposed to help stop us from killing.

[lifeless]

And you're still injured. If we're going to kill Leo, then you need someone else with you.

Dimitri went last week with Otome, right? I'll go with you.

[illuminance]

... I can't stop you, but I think that's unwise.

I was blinded because I was already a suspect. I'm sure to many people I still am. Everyone is doing a good job of catching the correct killers, and it would be better to ensure they catch me - someone they already know of.

If any evidence points them to Otome, she might end up like Byleth. If evidence points to Dimitri or Manwol, they'll be aware of two of our members that they previously had no idea of.

[momming]

I've been prepared for that since I agreed to kill one of my dorm mates. I'm fine with the risk.

But if nothing else, it would be better to have someone with you in the event that something happens and you're too injured to fight.

[repress]

Yes, should people end up targeting you again, and the worst happens... we could lose three people to this place forever.

[ not to doubt lux's capabilities, but it was a very good thing they didn't send her and byleth out last week. ]

Manwol or I should go with you just in case, since people do not suspect us. [ ... ] But do not feel pressured, Manwol. I could just as easily go.

[lifeless]

[she waves a hand]

You wouldn't have picked me if you thought I'd feel pressured. And I wouldn't have agreed to this if I wasn't ready.

Also, if you went, then it'd just turn into another big fight. If Luxanna and I go, then we might be able to catch him off-guard.

[manwol sure sounds matter-of-fact while discussing murder]

[illuminance]

... I still don't think it wise to potentially leave clues as to more of our members.

But as I said, I won't go against whatever the two of you decide. And I suppose it might help for there to be someone he does not dislike as much as he dislikes me, that he might trust the circumstances better.

[momming]

... Please be careful, okay?

[ god these are always so stressful. ]

[repress]

I think it is for the best that we continue pairing off. Thank you, Manwol, and may the both of you stay safe.

[ ... ]

Though, ah—we usually do not take them by surprise. From what I understand. Otome and I explained the circumstances to Wang Lu before we fought him.

1/2

[lifeless]

[lifeless]

[it's not emotionshare week but manwol's face is like 'what']

...I see. And that helps us... how?

[illuminance]

... It hasn't, yet. We did the same for Crow. He was understanding, but still didn't wish to go down without a fight.

But perhaps someone will feel differently. At the very least, they deserve to know why it is they're being killed.

[momming]

What we're doing to them is very cruel, after all. As Luxanna said, it's the very least we can do.

[ They are such bad mafia it's a wonder they haven't all been killed yet ]

[repress]

[ if not for the graveyard telling everyone to be nice, they stood a very strong chance of getting knocked down to two this week. even now, it's not... guaranteed they'll survive?

so, yes! they suck. ]

There is no honor in what we are doing, so we should be gracious in our methods as possible. Last week—and weeks prior—people were selected by their ability to defend themselves.

It is... not enough. But it is something.

[lifeless]

[

Manwol's aging so rapidly in the span of those three tags. It's not like she doesn't understand them, but]

That 'something' is going to get all of us caught. And then we'll be expelled, and then a new group of people are going to have to come in -- or they won't, because maybe by then everyone will be assimilated.

[...]

I don't think telling Crow and the others was a bad idea. [actually she does] But we've told enough of them, so they can all share that information with each other in the daycare.

[illuminance]

... I'm not denying the information I've given to everyone else to the person who already hates me.

[lifeless]

...Fine. But can we at least skip teatime this time around?

[repress]

You don't have to make pleasantries. But treat him as a victim, not a sacrifice.

Please remember this is one of my housemates.

[ he's not going to argue to save winter when they've all suffered losses, but leo is still a very young man and in the same house as him, so he's clearly not happy. ]

[lifeless]

[SHE IS EXHAUSTED!!!!!!!!!]

We're not going to brutally kill him. I just don't want to get caught off-guard.

[leo absolutely seems like the type to go 'YEET' mid-talk and then just stab manwol and luxanna]

[illuminance]

[ lux looks at manwol because they might not have a choice about killing him brutally? ]

[lifeless]

[manwol looks back at lux like "ARE WE TREATING HIM TO TEA OR ARE WE GONNA SHANK HIM???? THIS CULT AND ITS MIXED MESSAGES!!!!"]