week two

[facultwist]

Wake up, Rosenblum Hall. Wake up.

The storm still yet blows outside, and the sense of dread only increases. The time for action lurches ever towards you, whether you rise to meet it... or someone else does. We all know this story. We know how this will end. And in a creeping sort of way, maybe you in Rosenblum Hall do as well.

You're all here for now, though. There must be some comfort to find.

The world outside may still be away from you, but Rosenblum Hall is here for you. Rosenblum Hall will always be here for you.



SUNDAY | MONDAY | TUESDAY | WEDNESDAY | THURSDAY

[ ooc: welcome to the second week of Rosenblum Hall! While no new areas of the map have officially been opened, you are free to continue living within the spooky former mansion you all call home. Things are about to get Serious.

This week, please note the areas that have been investigated last week, as no new rooms are available to you. Hauntings, however, are not off the table. here you can find activity check, regains, and Isabella's office hours. ]

Comments

SUNDAY

[facultwist]

Investigation

[sweetsynergy]

[Sunday morning, Vanity sets up a small pile of tradeable items in the dining hall, writing out a small card inviting people to take anything available.]

[She pauses, regarding the Vending Machine plush with polite confusion and giving it a small squish before setting it down on the table with the other items.]

I can't decide if I'm more confused at why that exists or impressed by how oddly well it works.

[Later on, she's in the library, going through the shelves. Looking for, in particular, any books about Rosenblum Hall itself.]

[A possibly-creepy antique doll that wasn't there the previous week sits on an empty spot on a shelf. Flipping through a book nearby, Vanity pauses. Carefully reaches over. Turns the doll's head to face another way. And continues browsing the book.]

Investigation

[facultwist]

[ Interesting! So in terms of books about the building... There actually don't seem to be any. Weird! History of the area, yes, but not Rosenblum Hall itself. ]

communal dinner + investigation

[shellhawked]

[It's Sunday (Sunday Sunday!) and you know what that means? The inevitability of the march of time toward a new week while snow piles outside with little hope of escape and fear of the future...but more importantly Hawke has set her sights on Sunday Dinner! Thomasin had made a good point at the meeting, about eating together, and Hawke hasn't had a Sunday Dinner that wasn't steeped in unspoken emotions since...well, a while.

Sometime after breakfast a sign written in conspicuously purple ink is pinned to the wall next to the dining hall door:]

Sunday Dinner in the Dining Hall at 6:30! Witch Stew (and meatless bean soup), cathead biscuits and stack cake. Prep starts at 3, come help and hang!

- Hawke

[By mid-afternoon, Hawke has taken over the entire kitchen. The largest cooking pot she could find sits on the stove, cutting boards cover the kitchen counters along with various dry goods, jarred vegetables, dried fruit and some kind of lard. Hawke herself moves quickly from one meal prep activity to another with the kind of unfocused but organized chaos of someone who knows how to multitask and has learned the hard way the things that need actual focus lest they catch on fire, to keep track of where all the knives are and the things that can be left alone for a while.

If someone ventures into the kitchen, be it to actually help or just to get a snack, she flashes a bright grin and waves them in with a wooden spoon.]

Hey, you! Take your pick: chopping, mixing or kneading?

[In the early evening, dinner is served and ready for anyone coming to their communal meal. Laid out are a rich and hearty stew full of vegetables and meat, a smaller pot of a thick bean soup, a plate piled with fluffy biscuits and a cake that has more in common with a stack of pancakes smeared with apple butter between layers. Hawke beams over the result of the day's teamwork with smear of flour still on her cheek.]

Alright! Dinner bell is rung, let's eat.

[After dinner, when the dishes are clean and leftovers packed away, Hawke returns to the dining hall to do a little investigating before lights-out. Most meals she's taken back to her room to eat so she hasn't actually spent a lot of time in here. She picks up a candelabra and takes a walk around the long table- she's studying the walls looking for art and running her fingers over the musty old wallpaper feeling for things hidden under it. Maybe if the mood strikes her she'll crawl under the table and look for lovers' initials carved into the antique wood.]

My name is Zak Bagans. I never believed in ghosts until I came face to face with one. [Is she doing a douche-y ghost hunter impression for herself to fill dead air or to make this whole thing feel less creepy? Yes.] These are our Ghost Adventures.

kitchen

[kickdownthatwall]

[...well, she's wanted to be helpful with something that isn't breaking things. so like.

you know.]

...I am thinking kneading might work. Yes.

Dining Hall

[bellpepperexercise]

...what are you doing?

[Kana was just going to make some tea, and instead she finds Hawke doing...something or other.]

investigation

[facultwist]

[ There doesn't seem to be much secreted away in here along the walls, but... the latter part, that doesn't get her nothing. There's actually a brass plaque on the end of the table that claims it's the original dining table from the early 1800s. Wow!

As a result of the time between then and now, it's definitely been worked down a little, but... there's something carved in there. ]

kitchen

[curdle]

[ Thomasin does, in fact, observe the fourth commandment today! Pay no mind to the fact that she enters the kitchen at, like, 4:16 and already has her sleeves rolled back. ]

... I hope I am not too late.

Kitchen

[hootheart]

[Instead of using her phone to answer, Tiera simply walks over to one of the chopping boards, tapping on it lightly to indicate her choice. She's good at all three of these, but this probably requires the most skill.]

[ergine]

I'll take mixing~! ☆

[ Well. At least she sounds eager to help. ]

kitchen

[goldendoll]

[ oh. she blinks a couple of times at the sight of hawke, then nods, lifting a hand in a wave as she steps further inside. beats staring out at the storm in the conservatory some more. ]

... Sure, I'll mix. What are we making?

MONDAY

[facultwist]

Investigation

[ergine]

[ Early in the morning, Kohaku can be found in the kitchen, having claimed the daily breakfast slot. She's doing her best to work through the perishable items that, after a week's time, have started to look a bit sad... However, by the time other students begin to trickle into the kitchen, her attention has drifted elsewhere.

That's right. The wax melt warmer is heated up and ready to go. She's gripping an open package of wax squares in her hand, but... ]

Oh! Good morning. [ As ever, she offers the greeting with a smile and a wave. ] Um, would you mind assisting me for a moment...?

[ What on earth are theme park-themed wax melts supposed to smell like. She hopes it's something like cotton candy and popcorn—and not, for example, oiled metal and vomit—but no matter how hard she sniffs, she can't make out anything clearer than the vague idea of a scent...

After breakfast, the door to Room A-5 has been left open. From inside, Kohaku's tuneless humming can be heard, along with the shuffle of an indeterminate number of items. What is she doing? Cleaning, like you might expect a maid to do? Well...

A quick glance inside will reveal that she is in the process of arranging several taxidermy animals. A bat looms over either bed like some kind of gargoyle, but she seems to be having trouble deciding what to do with the rat.

Whoever sticks their head through the doorway to investigate will receive another cheery Kohaku greeting. ]

Look! Isn't it cute? [ The rat? Oh, no—she's pointing to the succulent on her bedside table, flanked on either side by the potted plants she had carried here herself. Her bed is a mess, too: a stuffed rabbit and a vending machine squishable are haphazardly arranged, and several more packages of wax melts have been strewn across it. ] I was so sad I had to leave my succulents behind when we evacuated, too!

[ Finally, she retreats to the conservatory and waters the plants. She's content to carry out the task in peace and solitude—though, with its high walls, the sound of her cheerful, idle humming carries surprisingly well through the room.

Oh—but didn't she want to look for some fertilizer for these poor wilted things? Not to mention, she had that conversation with Tiera about finding a portable generator... It's time to investigate!

Kohaku is looking for any supply closets there might be in the building. There are a few rooms she intends to check—including the lounge and the dining hall—but for now, she'll start with the conservatory. She remembers hearing Dagr found a painted-over door, so she's going to examine the non-window spaces on the walls really thoroughly! ]

room A-5

[protomartyr]

[ Honestly, Lottie thought she meant the rat. She blinks, a little taken aback, and then adjusts. ]

Yeah. It's nice. [ A beat. ] You could put the rat over the long side of the bed, so it faces the bat.

room A-5

[banishedfromparadise]

[Returning to her room for a moment, Dorothy can't help a faint, soft smile tracing her lips at the sound of Kohaku's humming. Sure, they're still stuck in this place, but she'd be even more unsettled if Kohaku weren't at least somewhat cheerful. It's reassuringly normal in an abnormal situation.

Then, she steps inside to see what her maid is actually working on.]

... Ah.

[It's... those taxidermy animals. She supposes they have to do something with them, but did it have to be this? ... Please tell her the bat over her bed is at least outside of the canopy so she doesn't have to see it at night?

But that's not what Kohaku is pointing towards, and Dorothy's attention is quickly diverted to the succulent and the potted plants.]

Oh! ... Yes, the room does seem a little nicer with something living in it, doesn't it?

[That faint, soft smile is back. Totally not a jab at the dead animals, she swears. Really, it's just nice seeing Kohaku get something she likes in this weird place.]

Investigation

[facultwist]

[ Ooh, okay! So it's not the same sort of thing, but there is definitely something painted over in the conservatory, tucked behind one of the larger pots. ]

Room A-5 what if I backtagged just to say a belated eulogy for Kohaku's cacti

[iseedollpeople]

... They're cute when they're smaller.

[Mei is better-raised (or perhaps knows better) than to stick her head into other peoples' rooms regardless of the state of the door, but it's easy to see the spread just from passing by given it looks like Kohaku's still in the midst of sorting it all. She's paused, and stepped a little closer when spoken to.

Having evaluated the succulents' charm levels, her gaze flickers over everything else, resting a moment or two longer on the rat and vending machine squishable.

Ultimately:]

It might be better to have plants that are already used to being here.

[Whatever this environment even is anymore. There's a certain air about it that perhaps isn't all that 2023, even for the flora.]

Kitchen

[hootheart]

[Tiera nods, moving a bit closer to get a better look at the wax melts. She tilts her head, looking a bit confused.]

Make candle?

TUESDAY

[facultwist]

MOTIVE - I then paused, and a cold shivering came over me

[facultwist]

[ It’s been a little while now since the loudspeakers actually crackled to life, hasn’t it? The Interim Headmistress seems to be content to keep to herself, despite everything. But in the morning on Tuesday, that seems to change. ]

All right, ladies! -Nope, that still feels gross to say, I’ll figure something else out. Anyway, we have something we should talk about. Meet in the Lounge, ten minutes. Chop chop.

[ Once everyone is gathered into the Lounge, the Interim Headmistress speaks up. ]

First off, I’d like to personally welcome The Detached for finally making it! And congratulate all of the rest of you for proving that you know exactly what to do in the event of a cold-based emergency situation.

[ She clears her throat. ]

But here’s the deal. I hear you guys have been having some… strange experiences this week. And I also hear that some of you are blaming it on Rosenblum Hall having faulty gas lines! So here’s the deal. You need the gas lines looked at. I need to give you a reason to kill each other. I can work with you here.

[ Somewhere in the building, a loud THUD resounds. ]

So that was the heat turning off. Don’t worry, I’ll make sure the pipes don’t freeze and the wind doesn’t get in, same as I’ve been doing. The repairs should take… oh, until one of you tries the whole murder thing. So stock up on blankets, and maybe talk to The Sheltered about how to make due without fancy modern gas heating. You still think this storm is going to let up anytime soon, right? Maybe it won’t be that bad.

WEDNESDAY

[facultwist]

[ On Wednesday morning, the Lounge and Hall will feature new bulletproof glass cases on the walls, featuring your profiles (plus a couple new additions) and the rules of the game! Enjoy! ]

Sleepover with Satsuki?! (Wednesday Night)

[thanoptical]

[Who let this happen? Somehow Satsuki was left with the responsibility of hosting the get together. It's fine, you're fine. She's fine. Well, it's not really a sleepover yet but rather a party before the actual sleeping. Around the first and second floors there's been paper signs taped to walls with the following words 'WE'RE HAVING A PARTY AND TALKING ABOUT SLEEPOVERS! COME TO THE LOUNGE AT SEVEN!'

Satsuki is trying her darndest to make sure this is a success. She's got some very basic food on a table, what looks like tea and coffee, and music blaring from her phone which is set on the TV.

The fireplace is lit and roaring (unlike this party, unfortunately). Satsuki's also taped up various informational flyers around the room like 'don't eat too many sweets, that'll cause your blood vessels trouble' and 'frostbite isn't your friend!'. All taped up with medical tape. She's very helpful. There will be several sub-top levels with more things to do.]

THURSDAY

[facultwist]

PUNISHMENT - your only warning

[facultwist]

[ Early in the morning, the Headmistress actually… speaks up off of her usual schedule. Her tone is clipped, edging closer to amused than upset. ]

I wondered if someone was ever going to try me! If you want to see a warning for what’s going to happen to the next girl who breaks rule five, come up to the study! Unless you don’t care about the other girls here, no shade or anything.

[ Anyone who does come to the study will find the door open and Isabella standing in it with a developing bruise on her cheek. Her gaze is cold, but directed upwards, not at Mariko, who is… in much more immediate distress.

The shadows have gathered around Mariko like chains made of the absence of fire, spiraling up her body from her ankles to her throat, binding her tight. Though she squirms, fighting against them in sheer panic, the “chains” hold fast. One can see the shadows of flowers blooming from them, looking closely. Or maybe it’s all just a trick of the light. ]

Now, I don’t like jumping in to save Isabella any more than any of you would, but we have rules for a reason! Things that are supposed to happen should happen, right?

[ Isabella tries to interrupt, but it seems that no sound escapes her. ]

Not now, Isabella, your boss is talking. Anyway, normally this would be the part where I squeeze the life out of whoever tried to attack the staff! But I believe in second chances. So you’re all on your second chance. And to make sure you remember that…

[ One by one, the “chains” all seem to give the impression of tightening and sinking into her. There’s no blood, no indication that anything physical is even happening, yet… Mariko slackens and falls to the ground.

Mariko Shinobu is… ]

She’s alive. But for the next… week? Maybe less? She’s going to be on time-out. Put her in a bed with some blankets and she’ll be fine, but don’t forget this.

[ ooc: Mariko is going to be unconscious and unresponsive for the next five days. Any investigation of her will find no wounds and a pulse mostly consistent with someone being asleep… except a little higher than you might expect, because she’s clearly having nightmares the entire time. ]

investigation

[iseedollpeople]

[After the uproar much too early Thursday, and Mariko being carted off, and everyone else left with their respective freakouts or otherwise like so much driftwood -- Mei drifts off herself, much like she did before the sleepover part of the sleepover ever occurred. That tends to happen with her and group settings. But she usually reappears, like a bad penny.

This time she'll turn up in the lounge, a few things laid out haphazardly in front of her like she might have stopped here for lack of means to carry them. There's two pictures of crows, for some reason, a whole Fight Club poster, and she's just given up and apparently set up a wax melt warmer in front of the fireplace. It smells like... metal and burning...?

Mei herself has a taxidermy raven on her arm and is contemplating it with a somewhat uncertain look on her face.]

... I like black birds. But not like this.

[At least she isn't talking to it--

Later on in the night, you may find her wandering about with her own lighting -- perhaps a gas lamp, if they're portable, or if not I guess she's just exploring with a wax melt warmer and wafting scents of rubber and helium or something. She's setting out to investigate any sounds of interest in the building, now that the heat's out and things are quieter in the walls -- with particular focus on the kitchen, ballroom, and billiards room. You may come across her just leaning on a wall or with her ear against pretty much anything, lifting a shushing finger to her lips. Just in case.

Still later, she'll be heading back to her room to do a bit of minor investigation on herself. Layers down to pajamas and checking herself in the mirror for, I don't know, unusual new tattoos or rose thorn scratches or something. She doesn't remember what happened for three days last week, after all.]