Week 4

[bathymetric]

Good morning, New Rapture. A new day is dawning.

Sunday arrives ahead of schedule again, bringing with it the creeping dread that this is just how this is going to go. Welcome to the murdergame cycle.

At least there's another section of the city available to you! This one even has some things to do without you having to make your own fun. Which also means there's more to find about this place.

There's still over 20 of you alive... maybe that's something to celebrate? It could be worse! But... at least one of you is an attempted killer, apparently. Either way, better keep talking if you want regains!



SUNDAY | MONDAY | TUESDAY | WEDNESDAY | THURSDAY

[ ooc: Welcome to the fourth week of Unknown Seas Round 3! Please make sure to mark any investigation toplevels accordingly, post your ac, and you can reach either Mayor Fontaine or Eleanor for conversations! ]

Comments

[honeyedtea]

[ So, this weekend sucked! It sucked for everyone and especially if your name happens to be Mielle Roscent. You know how it goes, you get interrogated about something you didn't do at a trial and it makes you flash back to the last time you got interrogated at a trial. Normal girl stuff. She'd thought that their finding the real culprit would help, but...

Well. Penelope was a girl just like her. And they'd sent her off to execution all the same. It wasn't as though they'd had a choice if they wanted to live, but...

Having spent her time since the trial holed up in teen girl suite, Mielle doesn't immediately realize there's a new section of the city available. After eating breakfast in the suite, she makes her way to the back room of the department store so she can try and get familiar with the sewing machines and such. There's instruction books and the like and surely it can't be that much more complicated than hand sewing. Right? Either way, she spends a good few hours fiddling with settings, trying to get the machines to actually sew and testing out stitches on scrap fabric. It's not quite as delicate and refined as hand sewing... but it's definitely more efficient.

She's in there so long that she almost forgets to get dinner, but hunger eventually drives her out of the Mile - which is when she notices the new section of the city. Curiosity briefly trumps hunger and she wanders over to see what they've been provided. Maybe it'll be something useful like last time?

Well... the jury's out on everything else because against her better judgement, Mielle ends up checking out the bowling alley and sees oh, there's food available! Surely it'll be just as good as the restaurant.

Which is how Mielle ends up staring down a serving of nachos absolutely groaning under the topping of bright orange cheese. To someone cultured, this is a perfectly normal serving of nachos but for Mielle who has literally never encountered heavily processed food before in her life... it's a lot! ]

I... don't think I can eat this...

[ Thankfully, the restaurant is still up and running, so she doesn't have to go hungry but still. What a way to be introduced to junk food.

As the evening goes by, she ends up retreating to the library before bed. Her intent is to get caught up on some reading but she ends up just... fiddling with her radio. It's playing quietly but she's flipping through the stations, readjusting the dial in hopes of... what? Hearing that recording again? Even she isn't sure.

But she can't shake her growing unease. Tomorrow is Tuesday, after all. And after the last two Tuesdays... she only hopes Mayor Fontaine isn't as fond of keeping to schedule as he has been so far. ]

Library

[hotpaprika]

[Jonathan is... uncertain about approaching Mielle while he's visiting the library. He provided her refreshments for the afterparty and after, but he still felt miserable for even considering her as a suspect.

But he still had to look after her, she was an innocent child who didn't deserve any of this. He needed to do better at looking after everyone.

Gently, he sits down next to her.]

Lady Roscent, it's good to see you out of your room today.

[honeyedtea]

... Mister Harker...

[ The smile Mielle gives him is a little uncertain – like she doesn't know if she even should be smiling, after everything. She doesn't feel quite like herself but... Jonathan had been kind and gracious after the trial, which was more than she could say for certain others. ]

I'm... certainly managing better than I was – thanks to Mafuyu and Miss Zinda. I do hope I didn't cause any concern while I was out of sight.

[hotpaprika]

[He fidgets a little in his seat.]

... I cannot lie to you, Lady Roscente, I was quite worried for your well-being. The trial was quite hard on you and I fear I contributed to your pain.

I... wanted to apologize for my behavior, and would like to offer you my aid in return. I am not a fighter, and I will not ask to hurt others for you, but if you are in such a state again, I promise to make sure to look after you if you need rest.

[honeyedtea]

[ The uncertainly gradually slides off her face, replaced by surprise and just a bit of caution. It almost seems too good to be true that after what a disaster that trial was that anyone would want to apologize to her – she's long since learned not to expect that from any of the people who've hurt her.

But Jonathan's so earnest. And she knows he's kind. He'd only make an apology – and a promise – like this if he really, truly meant it.

Eventually, she manages a slightly warmer smile. ]

I... truly do appreciate your kindness, Mister Harker. You and the others. What happened in there was frightening, but... knowing I have people like you and Miss Zinda and Mafuyu to lean on makes things a bit easier.

[ Her face falls a little. ]

I just wish that I could understand what I'd done to make myself seem so suspicious in their eyes...

[hotpaprika]

[Jonathan sighs, looking at Mielle with worry and regret.]

... Sometimes, when people are scared and hurt, they try pointing fingers at whoever they can, especially if they are then told to find out who hurt them like Fontaine is forcing us to do. I am certain no wanted here to personally see you die, but that still does not excuse us for making you feel such a way.

If it is any comfort, I was certainly happy that we ruled you out as a suspect, even though it pains me even thinking about the emotional turmoil you were under.

[honeyedtea]

... are you really so certain?

[ She's gone back to looking unsure again. ]

It's just that... [ Then some guilt passes over her face. ] N-no, I shouldn't gossip in a place like this...

[hotpaprika]

[He gives Mielle a sympathetic look.]

You can tell me, I will not be judgemental when I have been so candid with my own emotions.

bowling alley

[howveryglib]

[Gaius looks over to see the nacho pile and kind of cocks his head at Mielle's comment.]

...it does not look inedible to me. I do know that some people have issues with cheese, though...

[honeyedtea]

There must be something wrong with it for it to have some in such a colour and texture, though?

[ She's eaten cheese this colour before in neatly segmented cubes at parties and social gatherings, but never this particular radioactive shade and certainly not with this consistency. She's looking at it like it might bite her if she moves wrong. ]

[howveryglib]

[He does kind of squint at the color...]

...

It may be food coloring or some other additives. I doubt it is harmful in moderation.

[honeyedtea]

You're quite certain? I wouldn't put it past him to add something to the food that would make us ill or worse...

[ just LOOK at that shade of orange ]

[howveryglib]

I feel like that would go against the spirit of the whole exercise, whatever it is meant to accomplish. If he wanted to kill us all personally I imagine he would just flood the place.

[THAT PROBABLY LESS REASSURING THAN HE INTENDED...]

library

[sastruga]

[Of course Mafuyu is here. It's the library, it's where she spends most of her day. And, well, it's surprising hearing the slight static of the radio; for a minute, it makes her think she left her own here.

Seeing Mielle with it is a surprise.]

Mielle-san?

[honeyedtea]

[ Mielle jumps a bit – a kid with their hand in the proverbial cookie jar – and hastily shuts the radio off before giving Mafuyu a slightly strained smile. ]

Ah, Mafuyu– I–I probably shouldn't be making so much noise in the library this late... ahah...

[sastruga]

[Mafuyu just shakes her head, smiling sympathetically.]

It's alright. To be honest... I did the same thing here with my radio last week. [She sure as heck isn't about to judge.] So, don't worry about it.

Were you listening for anything in particular?

[honeyedtea]

[ The smile gradually slides off her face, replaced by something a little more pensive. ]

... I'm not really sure. I think... I might have been hoping to hear the broadcasts from last week again.

[ The motive is over and she knows no good can come of seeking out something what was made specifically to torment her, but... ]

[sastruga]

...Mielle-san. If you don't mind me asking... Ah, I'm sorry, the last thing I want to do is reopen wounds again, after what happened.

[The bullshit.]

But... your recording. It was related to what happened at the trial, correct?

[honeyedtea]

[ Ah. She should've expected that someone would eventually ask about that. Not that it keeps her stomach from clenching and going cold to hear Mafuyu be the one to voice that question.

She sets the radio down on the table and carefully keeps her eyes on that instead of risking looking at Mafuyu's face. ]

... It's... complicated. It would be wrong to say it's entirely unrelated, but...

[ She swallows hard. Suddenly, her throat is tight as well. ]

Everything that happened... comes back to the day my sister arrived at our house.

Nachos

[pairtner]

Perhaps it's for the best. As far as nutritional value goes, these are awful.

[......

Aiba says that but she probably would try them, if she were made of flesh. Sometimes you just want nachos]

[honeyedtea]

[ She looks a little startled. She'd guessed they were probably bad news already, but still. ]

Really? Is it the sort of thing that could cause you to fall ill?

[pairtner]

If you eat them in excess. What you have here is a serving, which should bring you no harm at all, but it's the same as eating air, as far as nutrients are concerned. Having it all the time, many days, is not a good idea.

[...]

Good tasting air, but it's air nonetheless.

[Hah, okay, she has to concede it's supposed to be tasty. Not that she has any idea if it is or not -- as well made as Aiba is, she doesn't have any senses other than sight]

[honeyedtea]

[ Mielle blanches, looking a little nauseous as she squints suspiciously down at her perfectly good nachos. ]

... I think I'll take your word for it.

[ She pushes the plate away. There's starving nbs in england who'd kill for those, Mieeelleeeeee....!!! ]

I'd hoped that since the food served elsewhere was acceptable, that might be the case here too...

[pairtner]

What kind of food are you used to, exactly? What's your home like?

[Tea parties, it seems! Flower pressing and tea! That all does hint what kind of stuff Mielle is used to, but hey, she has to ask anyway, encourage others to talk about themselves]

[honeyedtea]

Hm? Just the usual sort?

[ She says that quite thoughtlessly, as if forgetting that being a pampered rich girl is not the default. ]

I suppose if you needed an example, the sorts of things we're served in the restaurant are more in line with what I'm used to.