(ROLE) CULT

[dormheads]

cult.

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

d4rkness@Wiwaldi.edu

Come to classroom 1304; see attached map. You won't like what you're going to learn, though.

Be discreet and don't tell anyone.

Chad

No one is in the halls as Rupert and Otome 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]

... Why us, specifically? And how did you even learn death was the only option?

[ it's still said as politely as she can muster, but she honestly looks a little shell shocked. ]

[dormheads]

... Kaoruko passed on a note to let me know that she was nominating you two as the next members.

[as for the second question, he gestures to the crystal ball.]

[momming]

She's-- [ wow her voice cracks a little ] She's really all right?

[ but she'll pause and then slowly touch The Ball. ]

[dormheads]

She passed on a note to the principal while being held, though I doubt he had any idea what it was about. I haven't heard from her since she was expelled.

[touching the crystal ball reveals words and images that pretty much reveal to otome the same info written on the board.]

[momming]

... So if she--

[ wait. Give her a minute to process, also the crystal ball is weird. ]

Was that why she killed Hiyori? And do any of you have any kind of say in these expulsions or was that the world itself?

[ because she hated that ]

[dormheads]

[don't judge my convenient plot device.]

... Yes. He was one of the people who was going to be assimilated, so she chose to target him as the lesser of two evils.

As students, we don't have any authority over that. That's apparently a tradition created from an incident far in the school's history... though it should be separate from this. In previous years, I think this cult was... [he sounds tired] just an actual cult about cats?

[hence. the cat decor.]

[momming]

... That's sort of a tragedy, that it's changed so much.

[ Haaa. ]

Then the four of you... I assume have been a part of this for awhile? Are you at any risk of being assimilated?

[dormheads]

Well, I don't know if I'd say we've been a part of this. This world is our home, after all. We've lived here all our lives, so there's no reason to assimilate us.

[momming]

If it has natives already, why bring in people from other places?

[ it is so bizarre talking to this panda ]

[dormheads]

[he hates spirit week.]

My theory would be that that's the premise of the school it wants. It's not necessarily looking to create a mundane school life. [tiredly,] Otherwise, I imagine it wouldn't offer some of the classes it does.

[momming]

I-- yes, that's fair.

[ She continues to hate this. ]

It mentioned a potential way to save those who were killed... is that something you know much about?

[dormheads]

I don't know the method yet. Give me some time—I don't have that many more resources than you, but I'll look into whatever I have to find a lead. And keep your eyes and ears open, as well.

[momming]

Of course I will.

... And thank you. I'm sure explaining this to us wasn't easy.

[dormheads]

[he's quiet for a bit.]

... Considering the circumstances, you shouldn't be thanking me for anything.

[momming]

Even considering the circumstances, you're giving me more information than I would have expected and you're trying to help us return.

[ She, uh. Pats the panda head. ]

I'm also not a stranger to having to hurt the people I care about in order to make things right. As much as I hoped I could just play my part as a doctor...

... It seems I'll have to keep fighting.

[dormheads]

[oh. well, he jerks away when she pats the panda head. apparently someone is not great with physical contact.]

... Trying to do what one can in this situation is only natural.

[...]

I can't break my rules as Dorm Head, or else it might draw unwanted attention. But given that I'm the one forcing your hand, let me know if there's anything you need assistance with.

[momming]

Speaking of that... what are your rules as Dorm Head, anyway? So I know what you can or can't assist with.

[dormheads]

The most relevant would be that I can't give you anything for free that would normally require vouchers—such as healing, if either of you gets hurt. [... more hurt, in otome's case.] All I can do is lower it to the minimum price.

[momming]

[ she's fine!! ]

I see... that's fine, thank you.

Does, the. Ah. Principal play any part in this?

[ She'd ask about the dorm heads but Rupert already did that! ]

[dormheads]

No. I'm fairly certain that the principal is clueless and just acting according to traditions.

[momming]

... And a bear. Quite an eclectic school, indeed.

[ To say the least. ]

Just one more question. From what I heard you say about joining the cult, the world itself had some influence over that. But by doing so, you came to know the truth. Wouldn't that be something the world would have wanted to prevent? Or does its sentience not necessarily extend that far, like how we're allowed to be skeptical?

[dormheads]

Essentially, something like that.

From my understanding, it's better not to think of it as an entity on constant surveillance, as so much that right now, it pinpoints behaviour that it didn't expect or approve of. It sensed that Kaoruko killed someone, but since she didn't reveal her true motivations to everyone, it could interpret her as simply being bloodthirsty—might've even decided that it could make use of that to try and manipulate the rest of you.

I imagine it had a different vision in mind when it appointed me. However, since I haven't openly contradicted that role, it doesn't realize its actions resulted in something else.

[momming]

So if something does something ostentatiously enough to go against its expectations, it's a bit like an alarm bell.

... This world feels more like an Administrator than anything... [ with a sigh. ]

But I think I get the gist of it now.

[dormheads]

Administrator? But all right. Fair warning that I can't guarantee that things will remain constant, but for now, that's my understanding of things.